Harckham’s Policies are Causing Crime to Explode, Ruining New York
In his short time as state senator, Pete Harckham has shown that he cares more about lawbreakers than law enforcers. He voted in favor of bail reform that resulted in dangerous persons being set free to commit more crime. Under Harckham’s law, judges are no longer able to set bail for a long list of crimes, including stalking, assault, burglary, drug dealing and even some kinds of arson and robbery.
The result has been an explosion of crime. For example, a Hudson Valley man released without bail after being accused of trying to rape a woman at Nyack Hospital went on to allegedly stab a library security guard to death.
Unlike most of us, police officers have chosen a profession where they risk their lives simply for doing their jobs. It is not fair, however, to make their work even more dangerous by subjecting them to prosecution for using reasonable force to protect themselves. Bowing to pervasive anti-police rhetoric, Sen. Harckham did just that when he supported anti-police legislation this year.
An amendment was introduced in Albany this year that would have protected police, but Harckham opposed it. Among other provisions, the bill would have created “a Class D felony of Aggravated Harassment of a Police or Peace Officer if an officer is struck by any substance or object including, but not limited to, bottles, rocks, bodily fluids, spittle, urine, seminal fluid, feces, flammable liquids or other noxious, hazardous or dangerous substances or objects.”
I can only conclude that Harckham thinks these vile attacks on our police are acceptable. It is time for a change.
Russell Kamer
Katonah
